This new State report delivers the bad news: greenhouse gases are still increasing in California. And additional highways are still being funded. Rail transit and bicycle paths need to be prioritized.
Author Ella Wise|
Sacramento—Today the California Air Resources Board (ARB) released a new report finding that California regions are not on track to meet either their 2020 or 2035 climate targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Additional action from every level of government is required, including more investment in sustainable transportation and affordable homes near jobs and transit. The report can be downloaded here.
Each metropolitan region in the state has a plan, required by law, to reduce emissions by reducing the need to drive. However, the report finds that regions are failing to deliver on their plans. Part of regions’ failure is due to challenges beyond their control, such as limited state funding and local land use decisions. But regions continue to invest in highways, which results in more driving, not less.
“If we are going to meet California’s bold climate goals, we must hold ourselves accountable,” said State Senator Ben Allen (D – Santa Monica), who authored the law (SB 150) requiring the report. “To do that effectively we need to understand our progress through active monitoring and real-time data and be ready to make the changes needed to get us on target.”
“The largest source of carbon emissions in the state is growing: transportation,” said Victoria Rome, California Legislative Director for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “Cleaner fuels and electric vehicles are crucial in slowing those emissions down but Californians also need options other than driving.